John L Mica

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Blue Dog Democrats tend to move to the right in election years, which is understandable given that they typically represent swing districts.

And lately no district has swung more than Illinois’ 10th, in the affluent suburbs north of Chicago. Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider is currently serving his second, nonconsecutive term, having defeated Republican Robert J. Dold in 2016.

Every cycle there is a member of Congress who fails to modernize his campaign and adapt to new challenges, whether it’s Florida’s John Mica last cycle or George Gekas of Pennsylvania from further back. Texas Republican John Culberson might be the newest addition to the club.

He was re-elected in 2016 with 56 percent in an uneventful race, but Hillary Clinton narrowly carried the district (49-47 percent), making Culberson one of 23 Republicans representing districts won by the Democratic presidential nominee, and a Democratic takeover target.

Former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, at their news conference at the Capitol on Monday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Gun control advocates quickly urged Congress to act after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. But the real fight may be on the campaign trail.

Many of them suggest that even after a gunman opened fire on thousands of concertgoers in Las Vegas on Sunday night — killing nearly 60 people and injuring more than 500 — it’s unlikely that the Republican-controlled House and Senate will act.

Former Virginia Rep. Robert Hurt, center, is shown with Shawn Akers, left, dean of Liberty University’s Helms School of Government, and B. Keith Faulkner, dean of the Liberty University School of Law. (Courtesy Liberty University)

Former Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Va., will head Liberty University’s new Center for Law & Government, which the school says aims to influence public policy and spread conservative ideals.

“I could not be more thrilled to be a part of this project,” said Hunt, who represented Virginia’s 5th District from 2011 to 2017. “I think this is an excellent opportunity for Liberty University to be a part of the policy-making process in a way that other places cannot.”

The more than 50 lawmakers who will be jobless in a few weeks may encounter an unpredictable market on K Street, should they consider taking a spin through the revolving door.

Business interests feel bullish on next year’s potentially frenzied legislative agenda, stocked with tax and health care overhauls and debate over new infrastructure projects. But most lobbying groups have a tenuous rapport with the incoming Trump administration and are evaluating their hiring through that lens.